Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Articles Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Recycled Surgical Mask Waste as a Resource Material in Sustainable Geopolymer Bricks Subject The topic of the resource durability; geopolymer bricks; recycled surgical masks; strength; sustainability Description An account of the resource With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global consumption of single-use surgical masks has risen immensely, and it is expected to grow in the coming years. Simultaneously, the disposal of surgical masks in the environment has caused plastic pollution, and therefore, it is exigent to find innovative ways to handle this problem. In this study, surgical masks were processed in a laboratory using the mechanical grinding method to obtain recycled surgical masks (RSM). The RSM was added in doses of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% by volume of geopolymer bricks, which were synthesized with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), rice husk ash (RHA), sand, and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) at ambient conditions for a duration of 28 days. The developed bricks were tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, density, water absorption, efflorescence, and drying shrinkage. The results of the study reveal that compressive strength and flexural strength improved with the inclusion of RSM in the bricks. The highest values of compressive strength and flexural strength were 5.97 MPa and 1.62 MPa for bricks with 4% RSM, respectively. Further, a reduction in the self-weight of the bricks was noticed with an increase in RSM. There was no pronounced effect of RSM on the water absorption and efflorescence properties. However, the RSM played a role in reducing the drying shrinkage of the bricks. The sustainability analysis divulges the catalytic role of RSM in improving material performance, thereby proving to be a potential candidate for low-carbon material in the construction industry. 2023 by the authors. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Thoudam K.; Hossiney N.; Lakshmish Kumar S.; Alex J.; Prakasan S.; Chandra S.; Urs Y.; Arunkumar A.S. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Recycling, Vol-8, No. 6 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023-01-01 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling8060093" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling8060093</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85180717080&amp;doi=10.3390%2Frecycling8060093&amp;partnerID=40&amp;md5=3dd1443847dca71d58180e965aebe1d9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85180717080&amp;doi=10.3390%2frecycling8060093&amp;partnerID=40&amp;md5=3dd1443847dca71d58180e965aebe1d9</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All Open Access; Gold Open Access Relation A related resource ISSN: 23134321 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Online Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Thoudam K., Department of Civil Engineering, Christ University, Bangalore, 560074, India; Hossiney N., Department of Civil Engineering, Christ University, Bangalore, 560074, India; Lakshmish Kumar S., Department of Civil Engineering, Christ University, Bangalore, 560074, India; Alex J., Department of Civil Engineering, Christ University, Bangalore, 560074, India; Prakasan S., Research Associate, Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117566, Singapore; Chandra S., Department of Civil Engineering, Christ University, Bangalore, 560074, India; Urs Y., Department of Civil Engineering, Christ University, Bangalore, 560074, India; Arunkumar A.S., Department of Civil Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, 560019, India